How to Kill a Dragon (Heir of Dragons Book 1)

by J. A. Culican

  To Minx's dismay, there were more guards. A whole pride of Plurn had been stationed within the building, heavily armed as the outdoor guards had been. They were positioned around the space, mostly keeping to the cages, and dissuaded buyers from peeking with the threat of violence.

  Are you here, Mau? asked Minx as she scanned the row of covered cages. If you're here, please let me know. I've come for you, Mau. Don't be afraid.

  No reply came from any of the covered cages, however.

  “Can you reach out to your friend?” asked Kaleb quietly. “Telepathically, I mean.”

  She shook her head. “I'm not getting anything. It's possible she can't speak right now, or that she isn't here after all. I'd need to start looking in the cages to find out for sure...”

  “The time for that will come,” said the dragon shifter. “For now, we should try to blend in. If the auction starts and they reveal Mau in one of those cages, we'll break her out. Otherwise, it's better not to cause an unnecessary stir.”

  Kaleb's plan was reasonable, but it didn't stop her from wanting to inspect the cages immediately. I guess we can wait for the auction, but time is of the essence. Every minute spent looking in the wrong places is another minute that Mau remains missing. We should just start pulling these covers off and seeing what's inside. None of these guards can stop us. We'd crush them in an instant if they put their hands on us.

  Unable to sate her curiosity and itching to find Mau, Minx started across the room toward the nearest cage. She didn't make any overt moves at it, not wanting to alert the Plurn standing guard close-by, but studied its dimensions and wondered what—or who—might be stashed behind the veil. There were over a dozen such cages, all old, and the sounds escaping certain cells promised just about anything but a Faelyr. She walked slowly past the succession of cages, listening closely for familiar noises and attempting, from time to time, to reach out telepathically. It's me, Mau. If you're here, say something. Tell me where you are.

  Moments after she'd finished her second trip around the cages, she noticed one of the Plurn guards had eyes on her. She lowered her gaze, letting the cowl cover more of her face, but this move only made her seem more suspicious. “Hey,” uttered the beastly guard. “You there.”

  Minx shot him a withering glance from beneath the edge of the cowl. “Who, me?” she asked, affecting a deeper voice than usual.

  The guard stepped away from his post, striding toward her purposefully with axe in hand. “Yeah, you. What's your name?”

  She tensed. She was on the verge of being found out. “My name?”

  Another guard, stationed nearby, pointed at her with the tip of his axe. “Remove that hood immediately.”

  “What's your name?” demanded the first guard, growing impatient now. He stood over Minx and dared to grasp her cowl. Pulling it down forcefully, he studied the Fae's fair features and suddenly doubled back. “You... you're the...”

  From behind the Plurn came a flash of fire-yellow eyes. “That's Minx, a Royal Fae, you've got there.” Kaleb had come up behind the guard, and was now speaking directly into his pointed ear. The dragon shifter had grasped the Plurn's axe-wielding arm and was now twisting it violently behind his back. The Plurn were powerful warriors, noted for their immense physical strength, but compared to the strength of a Royal Dragon this Plurn foot soldier was powerless. “I suggest you unhand her,” warned Kaleb as the guard's weapon struck the stone floor.

  “It's her!” barked one of the other guards. “The Fae hunter! She's here!”

  “Who let her in?” spat another of the Plurn, leaving his post with axe held aloft.

  The assembled buyers staggered away from the pair as guards from all around the room descended upon them. Five, then eight, then ten armed Plurn rushed to meet them at room's center. Within a moment, Minx and Kaleb were surrounded.

  “That's the one who's been looking for the Faelyr,” said one of the guards. “Don't let her leave here!”

  Kaleb did not let go of the guard's arm, but now lifted him off the ground by it, the Plurn's joints cracking in the process. As though the guard were weightless, Kaleb tossed him backward. The stunned Plurn crashed into one of the veiled cages with such violence that the bars were forced out of shape and the cover fell away, revealing some terrifying barking creature. No sooner had the dragon shifter moved there were three axe blades trained upon him.

  Minx tore the cloak from her body, tossing it in the face of an advancing guard, and then rolled to her right, narrowly avoiding the business-end of a swinging axe. The weapon cleaved through the air with great force and its blade met the stone floor, where it abruptly shattered on impact.

  “So,” said Kaleb, catching the handle of an approaching axe and wrenching it from the guard's furry grasp, “I guess this means we won't get to stick around for the auction?” Wielding the axe, he blocked a furious blow from one of the other guards, steel ringing against steel. “That's kind of unfair, isn't it? We bought tickets, after all!”

  The Plurn warriors fell into a fury of snarls and roars. Other ticket-holders began rushing toward the doors, and from the exits additional guards began arriving. There would soon be more Plurn in the building than auction buyers. Those fleeing did so to the sounds of crashing furniture and smashing glass; murmurs, gasps and cries filled the air at the spectacle unfolding.

  For Minx, there was nothing but to handle each guard as they came. With surgical skill, she struck the leather-bound ribcage of a rampaging Plurn, and as he reeled, she drew him in by the arm, promptly dispatching him with a blow to the throat. No sooner did the beast-man plunge to his knees was another rushing toward her. The sweep of a great axe from mere feet away set her raven hair swaying in the air, missing by an uncomfortably small margin. The attacker loosened a roar of anger at having missed his mark and hoisted the weapon high in a second-attempt—but was too slow for the nimble Fae. Planting her heel against the top of the guard's foot, she had only to deliver a hard shove to knock him off balance. The Plurn tumbled backward, flailing into one of his fellows and catching the back-swing of another's axe handle to his side.

  The dragon shifter was handling himself capably as well, and despite the rushing Plurn all around her, Minx couldn't help but watch Kaleb's progress through the mass of guards. His expression, hard as the steel blades they swung at him, scarcely shifted as he worked his way through the attackers. The heft of his armor kept him from matching her own swiftness, but his every move demonstrated an almost-frightening level of stopping power. To the rampaging Plurn, Kaleb appeared a young, handsome man—a talented fighter, but a lone man all the same. Minx knew what he really was, though—and in the bone-rattling strikes he dealt, in the armor-rending swipes and violent throws he passed out in quick succession, she sensed the awe-inspiring power of a royal dragon.

  Seven or eight Plurn had been struck down, left dazed or severely injured, before the remainder of the auction house defense grew weary of further engaging with the pair. Kaleb shrugged off the jab of a short sword, then struck the arm that had delivered it with the back of his fist, resulting in a snap heard all around the room. The others flinched at this display and took several paces away from pair, axes held close to their chests.

  Sensing an opportunity, Minx started toward the succession of cages, ripping the veils from them with abandon in search of Mau. To her surprise, the guards appeared nervous to intervene. A trio of them came up on her flank, but she had only to spare them a sharp gaze to get them to maintain a reasonable distance. It was not like the Plurn—famous for their power and savagery—to flinch at the prospect of a fight, but having seen so many of the others struck down, those remaining knew their odds of success were slim.

  In yanking away the velvet coverings of the cages, Minx discovered strange and terrifying creatures the likes of which she'd never dreamt, much less seen. One cage, specially reinforced to keep its slender-legged denizen from escaping, was a hideous creature bred by the Zuscha. This beast, spider-like and nearly
as tall as she was, bore a vaguely human face and skittered around the ceiling of its cage on eight razor-sharp legs. The Fae huntress backed away from the cage with disgust, the odd creature chittering as it watched from above.

  The other vessels revealed creatures of similar strangeness—unnatural combinations of Fae, animal and other races—but no sign of Mau whatsoever. Still clutching one of the red curtains and wringing it out in her hands, she called back to Kaleb. “Mau's not here.”

  The dragon shifter took a step toward Minx, and the ring of Plurn surrounding him startled as if expecting an attack. “Oh? She's not here, then?” He eyed the guards, sparing them a little grin. “Oops. I guess we had the wrong place, huh?” He shrugged. “No harm, no foul. Right, guys?”

  One of the Plurn shadowing Minx let out a growl. “You're looking for the Faelyr, aren't you?” he asked, gripping his axe with both hands.

  She turned on her heels to meet him, wielding daggers for eyes. “That's right. Where is she?”

  The guard bumped into one of the cages as he sought to back away from her. “W-Well, she's not here,” stammered the Plurn.

  Minx grabbed up one of the axes a fallen Plurn had dropped and pointed it at the guard, backing him against the cage. “If you know where she is, you'd better start talking. And if I find out that you or any of your friends here harmed so much as a hair on her head, you're going to be sorry. Very sorry.”

  One of the Plurn she'd met outside, the one with the streak of silver fur over one eye, had entered the building at hearing the commotion and replied gruffly. “They aren't going to kill your pet. They want it alive. Harder to make a sale if you kill the merchandise.” The guard—seemingly the one in charge—bared his fangs and motioned to his subordinates. “As you can see, she's not here.”

  Kaleb strolled over, stepping gingerly over the heap of fallen Plurn. “Excellent. So, I'm a bit embarrassed after all we've been through, but might you direct us to the place she's being held?” He ran a hand through his flowing hair, eyes flaring with a coal-like glow. “Unless you want us to stick around, that is.”

  A few more guards poured in through the main entrances, stunned at the state of the auction floor. “What's going on in here?” demanded one. “Chief, we've got some Krah mercenaries on the way, just like you asked!” called another.

  So, thought Minx, they won't tell us, will they? They want a fight? She peered at Kaleb in the corner of her eye and found he hadn't even broken a sweat. He hasn't even begun to fight. She couldn't help but marvel at his strength. “OK, then,” she said, taking a step toward the chief Plurn. “Have it your way.”

  The mass of guards tensed and began to close in on them, waiting for orders from their chief.

  They were outnumbered ten to one, and at any moment she knew one of the Plurn might rush in and attempt to cut them down. Even so, Minx couldn't wipe the grin from her lips. We fight pretty well together, Kaleb and I. His raw power, coupled with her speed and instincts, made for a great pairing. Except for Mau, she'd never felt this good fighting alongside anyone before. We haven't known each other for very long, but we're actually pretty good at this. It's like we have a connection... like we complement each other.

  Kaleb caught her lingering gaze and spared her a little smile—and though she couldn't be sure, she thought she sensed agreement in it.

  Before the next round of battle could commence, there came a low voice from behind her. It issued from the direction of the cages—deeper into the auction hall—and Minx turned to look. There, huddled behind the rearmost cage, was a very large figure. “Please,” urged the voice, “come this way.”

  The presence of this figure surprised the Plurn, too, who peered over suspiciously. “Who's there?” barked one of the guards.

  The mysterious interloper stepped out from behind the cage, and at sight of her both Minx and Kaleb were at a loss for words. It was a woman, but with green skin and large, curved tusks. To what race this woman belonged neither could guess; there might have been something of the Krah in her, but the woman's great height and tusks were alien even to that reptilian species. Despite her odd appearance, the woman did not appear threatening—in fact, she motioned to Minx gently and called out in a low, pleading voice. “Please, miss... this way...” Her large, green hand beckoned to some dim space further on.

  “Who're you?” asked Minx, keeping one eye on the Plurn in case they decided to launch an attack.

  Kaleb studied the figure closely, muttering, “Is she with the guards?”

  “There isn't much time,” urged the green woman, straightening the tan robe around her lengthy trunk. “Please, this way!” Then, taking a step back into the darkness, she added, “I can help you find the one you're looking for.”

  “Huh?” blurted Minx, looking to the dragon shifter and nudging his arm. “She knows where Mau is?”

  Kaleb said nothing, watching the woman in the shadows under hooded lids and seeming to weigh their options. “Possibly,” he finally replied.

  “Can we trust her?” whispered Minx.

  Grinning at the Plurn in their midst, Kaleb shook his head. “Maybe. More than we can trust these guys, anyway.” He pointed at the Plurn chief and then motioned to the door. “We're going to do you a favor and leave this place. Forget we were here.”

  The guards were not in a position to merely let the duo walk out after all the chaos they'd caused, but couldn't hope to stop them, either. They growled and muttered amongst themselves, and Minx knew that if they didn't get away from the auction building quickly, the guards would surely return—and in greater numbers.

  Who is this woman? Has she been here all along? She couldn't be sure whether this woman in the shadows could be trusted, but was confident that she and Kaleb could take care of themselves in the event of treachery. She followed the dragon shifter into the rear of the main auction room, joining the woman who had already begun toward a small back door.

  “Come,” said the woman, eyeing the Plurn cautiously. “Quickly. They're going to tail us.”

  Kaleb arched a brow and followed the woman out the door as she eased it open. He seemed to be thinking the same thing she was.

  Minx went along, too. I don't know if we can trust her, but if she has a solid lead on Mau's whereabouts, we don't have a choice but to follow.

  Chapter 11

  With the help of daylight, Minx was able to get a better look at this mysterious woman leading them out of the auction house, and was more perplexed at her alien appearance than previously.

  Not only was she taller than either Kaleb or herself, but this green-skinned woman with a pair of imposing tusks bore a good deal of muscle. Her arms were well-defined and her shoulders looked like cannonballs. And yet, she walked with a certain gentleness—the gentleness of one who would step carefully through the woods to avoid crushing insects or flowers underfoot. As they wove back toward the alley at the auction house's side, the woman's delicate voice broke in over the din of loiterers stationed outside. “We must hurry. If they get eyes on us, they're sure to follow,” she warned.

  Heads low, they hung the nearest corner and quickened their pace, pushing past clusters of recently-spooked auction-goers and other shady types milling about the network of closely-packed buildings. They had not gone far from the back door of the building when the tusked woman donned the hood of her garb—and in doing so she largely managed to avoid the looks of curious passersby.

  “Where are you taking us?” asked Kaleb quietly, giving voice to the question on Minx's own mind.

  “Someplace quiet, where we can talk,” replied the woman, letting down the sleeves of her robe so as to keep her large, green hands mostly out of sight. “There is much to discuss.”

  I'll say, thought Minx, following at Kaleb's heels. Who are you and how do you know where Mau is being held? Why are you even helping us? Eager to throw the auction house guards off their trail, she held her tongue and decided to save these questions awhile longer. She studied the woman's hulking f
orm, wondering if she, too, was some strange creation of the Zuscha. She had certain marks of the Krah—a similar coloration and scaliness—but her every other characteristic was unplaceable. More than the tusks and muscle, Minx was stunned at the woman's delicacy. This was certainly not a quality found among the war-like Krah.

  Their trek brought them, after fifteen minutes of darting and weaving through crowds, to a cramped residential district of Karn. Simple stone homes lined both sides of a main street, and between them was a sprawling network of narrow alleys and tunnels, most of them half-hidden by tattered, sun-bleached awnings. Here and there, tenants of these homes could be seen pacing through their homes or fanning themselves at the rough-cut windows. Animals skittered and bobbed through the tunnel systems where foulness and damp had accumulated after a recent rain. A dizzying combination of scents—some pleasant, others repugnant—left the knot of homes with every gust of the breeze.

  The woman, still wearing her hood and stooping so as to look shorter than her actual height, brought them to the mouth of one of the alleys. “This way,” she said, pointing ahead. “My home is not far.”

  Minx and Kaleb passed by at least a dozen doorways, some open, others boarded up with thick wood, and she couldn't help regarding the gritty succession of homes with something like disgust. Compared to Pan, the city of the Fae, this place seemed too filthy and rundown to Minx, and the leering characters in some of the windows made her ill at ease. I thought this was supposed to be the greatest of human cities. Seems they aren't capable of building a proper civilization like us Fae. I'd be ashamed if this was all my people had to offer.

  When they had arrived at a locked door nearly a quarter of a mile into the complex of buildings, the woman lowered her hood, giving the pair another look at her strange, semi-reptilian features, and hastily opened it with a long, brittle key. She sped inside, and the moment both Kaleb and Minx had joined her in an ill-lit entry chamber, she shut the door with her shoulder and engaged not one, but three meaty locks. This move, in particular, threw Minx for a loop. Why so many locks? Is she trying to keep people out, or to keep us in?